Martin Kemp's son Roman makes heartbreaking childhood 'crying' admission

Wales Online

21-05-2025

Martin Kemp's son Roman makes heartbreaking childhood 'crying' admission
The One Show host Roman Kemp has opened up about his childhood and growing up in the spotlight with famous parents, former Spandau Ballet and EastEnders star Martin and Shirlie Kemp
Roman Kemp with his mum Shirlie and dad Martin
(Image: undefined via Getty Images )
The One Show host Roman Kemp has recalled seeing his mother Shirlie frequently in tears during his youth as a result of her challenging encounters with the paparazzi.
Martin and Shirlie Kemp became household names back in the 80s, riding the wave of success brought by their thriving music careers.
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During that era, Martin Kemp, now 63, was part of the chart-topping group Spandau Ballet and widened his fame by playing Steve Owen on the iconic BBC soap EastEnders.
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Shirlie Kemp, likewise aged 63, initially found the limelight as a backing vocalist for Wham! before forming the pop duo Pepsi & Shirlie with fellow singer Helen DeMacque, reports Edinburgh Live.
The couple's paths first intersected on the set of Top of the Pops, leading to a romance and eventually marriage in 1988. Shortly after, they expanded their family, welcoming their daughter Harley Moon, who is now 35, and later their son Roman, now 32.
Roman, who presents The One Show, has since spoken about the realities of growing up under public scrutiny, especially witnessing his mother grapple with the pressures of fame.
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In a candid discussion with musician Tom Grennan, Roman shared memories of himself and his sister Harley being featured in national magazines alongside their parents during financially difficult times.
"My parents had no money at the time because my dad had all these operations and s**t for his brain, so like they were trying to get more money," he said.
"But then, even up to when I was maybe 13, if we'd gone on holiday, we were never allowed to go to the beach because when we went on the beach, my mum and dad would always be like 'there it is' and you'd see a boat come past, quite far out, and then like stop and they'd just be a long lens camera just taking pictures of kids on beaches."
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The family faced struggles with paparazzi
The 32-year-old described how his mother would often end up in tears upon seeing the photographs taken by paparazzi appear in the media.
"It's mad in that sense, you see it less and less now, like those old celebrity pictures on the beach, you see that a lot less now," he said during the You About? podcast.
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"But at the time, my whole life, me growing up, was my mum crying because they're taking horrendous pictures and they'd only use the worst picture," he said.
Recalling a specific incident at the seaside, Roman recounted how Shirlie "cried for like five days" after images of their family on a banana boat made it into the press.
Both Martin and Shirlie have, in the past, voiced their concerns about their son stepping into the limelight considering their personal encounters with fame.
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Roman Kemp opened up on the downsides of fame
Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Martin said: "Fame is a difficult thing to cope with full stop and you have to get your head around it.
"It's something that I worried about with Roman when he was younger, going into the same industry [as us].
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"It's a difficult thing, but Roman's got his feet on the ground, and I'm really happy for him."
Shirlie Kemp echoed worries over the "pressure" exerted by social media and the potentially profound effect of hurtful remarks.
Roman, a familiar voice from presenting the Capital FM Breakfast Show between 2017 and 2024, and also a host on The One Show, has previously spoken about his challenges with fame.
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In an interview with Radio Times Magazine, Roman confessed: "The only part about fame I find difficult is being known.
"When you've got someone coming over to you in the middle of the street, talking to you about suicide – which I've campaigned about – there are days where I would rather not go out because I can't deal with it."
Roman Kemp and Tom Grennan's new podcast, You About? is available on BBC Sounds every Tuesday.